Chapter 35 - Gopīs’ Song (in pairs of verses)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Śuka said:

1. When Kṛṣṇa departed to the forest (to tend the cattle), Gopīs whose hearts followed him, spent their days in great misery, loudly singing of his sportful pastimes.

The Gopīs said:

2-3. Oh Gopīs when Mukunḍa with his left cheek inclined to the joint of his left arm and with dancing eyebrows, applies the flute to his lower lip and begins to play on it with his tender fingers placed on its holes, the Siḍddha damsels passing through their aerial cars along with their husbands, feel disconcerted with amazement at the melodious music, and feeling bashful to find that their hearts have been hit by the shafts of love, become infatuated and are not aware of the loosening of their garments.

4-5. Oh delicate ladies! How wonderful is the phenomenon! Listen. When this child of Nanda, with his smiles beaming like a wreath of sparkling pearls^[1] and with the lightening-like (fickle yet lustrous) goddess of wealth (Lakṣmī) permanently abiding on his chest (as Śrī-Vatsa, plays melodiously) on his flute to bring solace and delight to the afflicted people, bulls in Vraja, deer and kine in their herds, from far afar, have their hearts captivated with the enchanting music of the flute and stand (listening to the music) with their ears erect and (holding unswallowed) half-chewed morsels of grass between their teeth (and look) as if they are asleep or drawn in picture.

6-7. (The melodious music of Kṛṣṇa’s flute hypnotises even the non-sentient creation.)

When Lord Kṛṣṇa dresses himself like a wrestler with a tuft of peacock-feathers and tender leaves and anointed with mineral paints, and sometimes accompanied by Balarāma and cowherds calls the cows (through the melodious notes of his flute), (even the non-sentient) rivers stop flowing as if they are strongly longing to receive the dust of his louts-feet borne by the breeze. But they possess poor merits like us, inasmuch as, they (instead of getting the much- yarned-for dust) (keep waving their arms in the form of waves and have the flow of water stopped (as we have our eyes bedimmed with tears).

8-9. When Kṛṣṇa,^[2] who like the Ancient-most Person Nārāyaṇa, possesses unfading eternal splendour^[3], (and whose heroic exploits were celebrated by his followers, (the cowherds^[4]), ranges^[5] in the forest, calls the cows which are grazing on the slopes of the mount Govardhana by uttering their names (musically) through his flute, the creepers and trees in the forest^[6] as if mainfest the All-pervading Lord Viṣṇu abiding in them, by exhibiting their floral richness and wealth of fruit, laden wherewith the boughs of the trees are bowing down low and with their bodies thrilled with intense love spray forth a shower of honey.

10-11.^[7] Lo! Look here when Kṛṣṇa with a charming Tilaka (a sacred mark on his forehead) heartily appreciates the enchanting high pitched humming-song of the swarms of black-bees intoxicated with the honey in the Tulasī flowers woven in his Vanamālā and emitting ethereal fragrance, and applies the flute to his lips (to breathe a song in response to their music), the cranes, swans and other acquatic birds living in the lake, with their hearts enticed away by the captivating music, approach Lord Hari and with their eyes closed and minds under perfect control, meditate on him (lit. sit close to him) in perfect silence.

12-13. When accompanied by Balarāma and beautifully decorated with floral ear-rings^[8], Kṛṣṇa stands on the summits of mountains and that Lord of eternal Bliss fills the whole Universe by the fascinating music of his flute, Oh beautiful ladies of Vraja, even the cloud, being afraid in mind of showing disrespect to the great Lord, rumbles softly keeping time with the tune of his flute, spreads himself over him as an umbrella and covers the friend (of the universe) with a flower-like spray (or the invisible gods spray him with flowers).

14-15. (To Yaśodā who has joined these Gopīs:)

Oh chaste lady! Your son is expert in the various games and sports played by cowherds. But when he applies his flute to his Bimba-fruit-like red lips and plays out varied original tunes in the art of flute-playing, the chiefs of gods of whom Indra, god Śiva and god Brahmā are prominent, listen to the delineation of the music in different pitch again and again.^[9] Although these gods were experts in music, they failed to grasp the heart (the underlying principles or the nature of the fine points) of the music and stood confused.

16-17. When Kṛṣṇa of the noble gait of the king- elephants moves on playing on his flute, and soothing the pains caused to the earth at Vraja due to the hoofs of the cattle, by means of his feet similar to lotus-petals and beautified with the marks of a flag, a vajra (thunder-bolt), a lotus and a goad, we, with the stormy passion of love enkinded in us by his sportful oglings, are reduced to the (stationary) state of trees and out of infatuation are not aware of the loosening of the braids of hair and the garment.

18-19. Sometimes, when wearing a wreath of beads^[10] and counting the cows (in his charge thereby (with the beads), Kṛṣṇa, wearing a garland of Tulasī the fragrance of which is specially liked by him, sings playing on his flute, resting his hand on the shoulder of his affectionate friend, the she-ḍeer, the mates of black-antelopes, with their hearts enticed away by the music of the flute, follow Kṛṣṇa, the ocean of excellences, and renouncing all desires to return home, stay by his side like the cowherd-damsels.

20-21. Oh sinless Yaśodā! When your child, Nanda’s son, picturesquely dressed with the wreaths of Kunda (jasmine) flowers and surrounded by the cowherds and the wealth of the cattle, plays on the bank of the Yamunā, joking with his intimate friends, a gentle breeze (from the south) blows agreeably and pleasantly and offers him respect with its cool touch charged with the fragrance of sandal. And bands of demigods (like Gandharvas) performing the function of bards and minstrels, wait around him worshipping him with instrumental and vocal music and articles of worship.

22-23. Being compassionate to the people of Vraja and the cows, he held up the mount Govardhana. When after collecting his entire wealth of cattle, he returns home playing on his flute, his panygeric is being sung by his friends and his feet being worshipped by the old (gods like Brahmā and others) on the way, with his garlands covered over with the dust raised by the hoofs of the cows, here comes the Moon (the Lord of stars) born of Devakī’s womb—a veritable feast to the eyes of Gopīs by his splendour, even in a fatigued condition,—he does so solely with the desire of fulfilling the wishes of his friends.

24-25. With his eyes slightly rolling with ecstatic joy, showing great regard to his friends and well-wishers, adorned with a wreath of sylvain flowers, with his face pale like a slightly ripening badara fruit, and his tender cheeks beautified with the splendour of his gold ear-rings, here comes in the evening, like the Moon (the Lord of the night). The Lord of Yadus (Kṛṣṇa) with the sportive gait of an elephant-king, with a cheerful face relieving the day-long endless agony (of separation) of the cow-like Gopīs of Vraja (to relieve the cows of the daylong—as if interminable—heat of the sun).

Śrī Śuka said:

26. In this way, the highly fortunate damsels of Vraja with their minds and hearts absorbed in him, used to spend their days in delight singing the sportful activities of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Oh King Parīkṣit.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

OR (i) smiles reflecting from the garland of pearls on His chest as His countenance is inclined towards it. (2) Whose laugh shines like a wreath of pearls on His chest (3) The lustre of which was spotlessly white like the laugh of pearls (hārāṇāṃ hāsa iva viśadā sphūrtir yasya)—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

Padaratnāvalī reads.—hāra-bhāsaḥ—Looks brilliant with the pearl-garland.

[2]:

This describes the effect of Kṛṣṇa’s flute on the immovable or stationary creation like trees—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā, Bhāgavata Candrikā

Padaratnāvalī; Just as the most Ancient puruṣa Nārāyaṇa who lies on the cosmic waters, is being praised by sages like Ṣanaka with the Vedic mantras which are profusely evolved out of the mouth of Vāyu etc.

[3]:

Or: the ever-lasting abode of Lakṣmī, the goddess of affluence, splendour and beauty.

[4]:

Or: Gods and sages (in the case of viṣṇu)

[5]:

Padaratnāvalī: The adj. vanacara includes all the incarnations including the Fish.

[6]:

Padaratnāvalī: applies this to the sages and Yogīs in the forest who perform austere penance in the forest; who realizing Lord Viṣṇu within their hearts, bow to Him with their hands and are imbued with eternal bliss.

[7]:

This describes the effect of the music of Hari’s flute on birds.

[8]:

or with pearl necklaces.

[9]:

or inclining their neck and mind to the direction whence the musical notes were coming—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[10]:

Adorned with jewel Kaustubha—Padaratnāvalī.

Other Purana Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Gopis’ Song (in pairs of verses)’. Further sources in the context of Purana might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Forest, Black bee, Aerial car, Gentle breeze, Captivated heart, Great misery, Goddess of wealth, Divine compassion, Humble worship, Cowherd, Chiefs of gods, Musical notes, Sacred mark, Elegant appearance, Friends and well-wishers, Wonderful phenomenon, Great regard, Sportive gait, Cowherds and cows.

Concepts being referred within the main category of Hinduism context and sources.

Affectionate friend.